Feed water heater



Jan. 2, 1940. s. Q. BATES FEED WATER HEATER Fi led Nov. 23, 1936 Patented Jan. 2, 1940 UNITED STATES FEED WATER HEATER Sidney Q. Bates, Houston, Tex., assignor of onehali to F. H. Thrailkill, Houston, Tex.

Appliaation November 23, 1936, Serial No. 112,34!

6 Claims.

An object of this invention is to provide a feed water heater in combination with means for treating the water.

A further object of the invention is to provide a heater whose efllciency is not impaired by formation of scale inside of pipes and heater coils such as are in general use in the oil fields today for heating boiler feed water. I desire to elimihate the cost of replacing these coils and pipes, thus eliminating also the cost of much pipe and many fittings. I aim to provide a heater which has less initial cost and less water contamination from an open pit.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a heater where the fresh water is subjected most effectively to the action of steam and in which the heated water is maintained in continual contact with the waste steam while it is stored for use.

I also have as an object to be able to draw ofi the impurities settling out of the water without interfering with the use of water in the tank.

With reference to the drawing herewith, Fig. l is a central longitudinal section through one of my heating units.

Fig. 2 is a broken transverse section on the plane 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sirr'lar broken section on 33 of Fi l.

The feed water heater which forms the subject matter of my invention consists primarily oi a tank or container I, which I have shown as made up of sheet metal and approximately cylindrical in shape and adapted to set upright on a support. This container'has a bottom 2 in the shape of an inverted cone. The lower apex of the cone is formed to receive a pipe 3 which projects upwardly therethrough and into a conical heme member ,4, which is spaced from the bottom memher 2 so as to provide an annular space or chamber 5. It will be seen that the chamber 5 is not connected in any way with the pipe 3, which forms an 'outlet through the bottom and has therein a hand-operated valve 6. Outlet from the chamber" 5' and below the battle 4 is allowed through a .pipe ,1 connected with said chamber and through thls'fpipeatneeed water is .drawn from the tank the plane (when needed. I also provide in the bottom 2 a manhole'8,'through which access maybe had for purposes of cleaning and otherwise. l, Thebafllle l is spaced at its upperrim from the Wallot the container I and is held in position by -brackets or spacers 9, shown best in Fig. 3. This allows an annular opening between the upper or the heme and the bottom of the container through which fluid may find access to said chambar from the tank. The lower apex of the baflle =6, isconnected tothe pipe 3 to form a sealing connection therewith and it will be obvious that 'vslushj'o'r sedimentgathering in the lower end of (Cl. Mil -112) the tank and upon the baflie may be drawn off through the pipe 3.

Above the baflle 4 is a deflecting plate All which is secured at its upper end to the inner wall of the tank or container l as by welding, or otherwise, at it. This deflecting plate tapers downwardly and is in the form of an inverted frustrum of a cone. The lower end overlaps the upper end of the bafiie t and is spaced therefrom to allow the passage of fluid around the lower end of the deflecting plate, as indicated in the drawing. It will be seen that this plate functions to direct the sediment or impurities settling out of the water in the tank downwardly into the bafie i, so that it may be drawn on.

The upper end of the tank or container has a top wall I 2, which extends inwardly from the side walls and.connects at as with an upwardly extending chamber it having open connection with the interior of the tank. This extension is closed at its upper end except for a central outlet pipe it, which allows exhaust of the steam entering the tank. This outlet is restricted in size so that the steam will be under slight pressure within the seen, are connected with the wall of the chamber at spaced intervals around the lower end of the cone. The cone is spaced from the wall of the chamber to allow passage upwardly around the lower end thereof of steam, the passage of steam being indicated by the dotted arrows l8.

Below the cone shaped bafie it is a second frusto-conical shaped bafie as. This baiile is also spaced somewhat from the wall of the w 0-2- and supported by brackets 2d. Its upper end is within the margin of the cone It so that feed. water entering the upper chamber I 6 through inlet pipe 26 will be deflected downwardly past the upper end or the baflle l9 and will thus flow downwardly over the upper surface of the said baflle into the tank l. I have shown a support for the upper wall of the container which reenforces the same, said support comprising a crossshape member 22, which is preferably of ,t'ubular stock as shown.

The incoming charge of freshwater entering the tank comes by way of a pipe shown at 23 in the drawing. This water first enters a small container 24 in which I contemplate placing chemicals which may be employed in treating the water. Any desirable composition of treating material may be employed and the particular composition thereof'i'orms no part of the present invention. The water entering through the pipe 23 will pass through the container 24 to the pipe 2| which by means of a valve so as to allow the feedingv of the chemicals to the tank in the desired quantity.

The steam employed in heating the incoming stock of fresh water is exhaust steam and will be delivered to the tank through the pipe' 26,

'which is positioned at a level closely adjacent the upper end of the tank. Directly opposite the steam pipe 26 is an outlet pipe 21, which is of restricted size. This outlet together with the outlet I5 shown at the upper end of the container furnish exhaust for the steam entering the, tank, and as previously stated will'be so restricted as to maintain a pressure within the heater.

I have shown provision for a gauge glass indicated in dotted lines at 28. This gauge glass is positioned adjacent the upper water level in the heater.

In the operation of my device the water will be delivered as previously noted over the bafiles l6 and IS. The water will pass in a thin film over these baiiies and will drip from the upper 'baffles downwardly on the lower one and from the lower one willdrip downwardly into the tank. The path of this water film is shown by the arrows 29'.

While the water is thus being delivered into the tank the steam entering through the pipe 26 will exert a draft or current along the upper surface of the water in the container and any oil or other floating impurities coming into the tank may be blown outwardly through the pipe 21. The greater volume of steam will, however, pass upwardly as previously noted around the bailles insuch way as to come in close contact with the incoming stream of water in the manner noted. There will hence be a close contact of the steam at the upper end of the container with the inflow of fresh water. This water stream will be in a thin film and in the form of drops so that the steam may better deliver heat thereto on its passage upwardly to the outlet l5.

Impurities in the water in the tank I and settied out partly by means of the chemicals fed to the heater will pass downwardly over the deflecting plate Ill and the baille 4 and may be drawn off through the outlet pipe 3. vThe size of the container is suflicient so that there will be no strong current of water downwardly to the outlet pipe 1 and sludge and impurities in the water will hence not be carried over the upper rim of the bafile 4 to the chamber 5 and feed water will hence be a hot clear stream of water which may be delivered directly, to the boiler.

I desire to calibrate the .capacity of the tank and the size of the outlet so that under normal conditions the level of liquid in the tank will be maintained closely adjacent the steam inlet, as will be notedv from the drawing.

An advantage of this device lies in the manner in which the steam coming to the container is brought into intimate contact with the thin film of water fed to the tank. Furthermore, the steam is in continual contact with the upper surface of the heated water in the tank I and tends to maintain the same in its heated condition and to impart additional heat thereto. It has been found by actual test that the temperature of the water in the tank I may bemaintaincd above 200 Fahrenheit due to the manner of treatment above described. The device is therefore simple and economical to construct and eflicient in its operation.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a. feed water heater, a tank, means to heat the water therein, a downwardly tapered bottom thereon, a funnel shaped baflie above-said bottom, the upper rim of said baflle directly being spaced from the walls of said tank, an outlet for sediment from the lower end of said baflie, a downwardly tapered deflecting plate secured at its outer rim to the inner wall of said tank above said bailie to overlie the upper rim of said baille, and means to draw off hot water from said tank below said baffle.

2. A feed water heater including a tank, a re- "duced extension at the upper end thereof, superposed conical baflles in said extension, means to feed water in a film over said baliles to flow said water from one baflie upon the next succeeding lower one, an inlet for steam adjacent the upper end of said tank, a restricted outlet for steam in said extension, an outlet for steam and scum from the water in said tank opposite the said steam inlet, and an outlet for hot water at the lower end of said tank.

3. A feed water heater including a tank, a reduced extension at the upper end thereof, superposed conical shaped baflies in said extension, means to feed water in a film over said bailles, an inlet for steam adjacent the upper end of said 'tank, a restricted outlet for steam in said extension, means to feed a limited flow of watertreating liquid to said tank, an outlet for steam and scum from the water in said tank opposite the said steam inlet, and an outlet for hot water at the lower end of said tank arranged to maintain the water level adjacent said tank outlet for steam.

4. A feed water heater including a tank, a reduced extension at the upper end thereof, superposed bafiies in said extension, a pipe to feed water in a film centrally over said baflies, an inlet for steam adjacent the upper end of said tank,

outlets for steam from said tank sufllciently re-' stricted to maintain a slight pressure in said tank, and a hot water outlet from said tank constructed to maintain the liquid level in saidtank closely adjacent the said steam inlet.

5. A feed water heater including a tank, an upward extension thereon having a restricted steam outlet, a plurality of downwardly sloping circular baiiles in said extension, said baflies increasing successively in externaldiameter downwardly, means to deliver fresh water downwardly over said bailles, the water falling from one baffle upon the next succeeding lower one, a steamy inlet to said tank adjacent the upper end of said tank, and a water outlet adjacent the lower end of said tank constructed to maintain the water level in said tank slightly below sai of said tank regulated to maintain the water level in said tank slightly below said steam inlet..

SIDNEY Q. BATES. 

